Blood, Bones and Torture
by LittlepurpleSparrow
Summary: This is my first FanFiction so be nice :3 I also suck at summaries... but here goes. Melanie was a relatively normal girl, living a normal life in Australia when she is thrown into another world, ending up in Ireland where magic and a talking skeleton exist and to top it off the Pure want to sacrifice her to resurrect their evil gods. It's going to be one of those... ugh months
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry this isn't just one chapter it's three but with good reason, if you read the first chapter then you will understand why I didn't just want to put the one in there ;) hope you enjoy**

Melanie

Melanie walked down George Street, she like walking but god she got bored easily, so walking down the same street to school five days a week really didn't start the day on a high note. Her school wasn't far from where she lived so the walk wasn't too painful.

The Australian Autumn breeze tousled her long, dark, brown hair and she ran her fingers through it trying to tame the tendrils of loose curls.

She checked her phone, it was 8:45 already, she was going to be late, as usual and she was going to get a lecture, as usual.

She turned onto the street her school sat on, it stood out like a sore thumb, the town being rustic and pretty while the school was a modern barred prison. Well Melanie thought of it that way anyway with its barred windows and strict rules the place could have been a low security prison. Melanie never cared much for rules anyway, they restricted the mind, restricted what you were capable of so she ignored most of them.

She scuffed her red All-Stars on the curb as she passed the alleyway, the alleyway always gave her goosebumps she hated it, she always had the feeling she was in danger when she passed it, even in the car.

An arm wrapped around her waist and a hand clamped over her mouth, Melanie kicked and struggled but her attacker dragged her into the gloom of the alley.

He pushed her up against a colour-bond fence one hand still clamped over her mouth, the other moved up to her throat. He was young, relatively handsome and skinny with matted black hair and allot of scars.

"Now lovely," he said with an English accent "You're not going to make a sound or you're going to lose that pretty little head of yours, OK?"

She nodded and he moved his hand away from her mouth and she screamed as loud as she could, the sound echoing all around her.

The English man drew his hand back and hit her in the jaw, she whimpered and tears sprang into her eyes as the taste of blood leaked into her mouth.

"I warned you, didn't I?" he snarled

The young man let go of her throat and she slid down the fence and buried her face in her hands forcing herself not to cry. Mustering up all her strength and bravery she sprang up, the English man making a grab for her but she instinctively put her knee up and he ran into it then she kicked out sending him sprawling and sprinted up the alley as fast as she could.

He cursed her a few times and she heard his heavy feet as he ran after her. Melanie allowed herself a glance back, the English man was holding a knife and was gaining, fast.

"Crap," Melanie muttered as she forced her legs to move faster even though every muscle in her body was screaming at her to stop and take a break.

She made it to the end of the alley and skidded to a halt breathing heavily. A black van had pulled up infront of her, after a moment the door opened and three men stepped out all dressed in impeccably fine suits. They gave Melanie the creeps.

The English man ran up behind her and wrapped his arm around her throat but she didn't struggle, her eyes were fixed on the men from the van.

"I've got her!" the English man shouted a little too loudly in Melanie's ear making her wince

"I can see that," said the man in the middle of the three he had a strong Irish accent "but unfortunately we will not be needing your services anymore."

"What?" the English man spluttered releasing Melanie and backing down the alley "You... you can't!"

The man in the middle raised his hand and the young English man stopped in his tracks. For a moment nothing happened, he dropped to the ground shrieking then started shaking, his screams intensifying with every passing moment filling Melanie's head.

His eyes bulged and then his skin split as though his bones were growing too big for his body and blood seeped out of the ever-growing gashes. She heard bones crack and his body ruptured, his fractured bones sticking out of his skin.

Melanie's gaped in horror not able to take her eyes off the dead man.

"Now little one," said the man in the middle dragging Melanie's attention back to him "What shall we do with you?"

The man on the left suddenly disappeared, Melanie sensed someone behind her and whipped around. The man smiled a cruel smile and plunged a syringe into her arm.

Melanie moaned slightly as her vision clouded over and she staggered backwards before her legs buckled and she collapsed on the ground.

At about 5am

Valkyrie was woken by a tapping at her window she sat up, swung her legs out of bed and tip-toed over to her window pulling her singlet down as she went. She peered out of her window, into the early morning light and saw nothing whatsoever, she frowned and came to the conclusion that it was probably her dream. Suddenly her window swung open and Valkyrie was yanked out by her arm, she braced herself for the encounter with the ground but jolted to a stop just above her sister's bedroom window she frowned and looked up.

A pretty woman with glinting hazel eyes and tousled blonde hair that hung loosely around her face grinned down at her. She was crouched on the wall, somewhat like a spiderman dressed in leather.

Valkyrie sighed "Tanith," she said quietly "was that really necessary? You could've just tapped on my window and I would've let you through."

"Where's the fun in that?" Tanith replied

Valkyrie glared.

Tanith swung Valkyrie up so she could grab the window with one hand and then let go of her and climbed into the window. Valkyrie stayed there for a moment letting the cool, pure night air fill her with calm but her screaming muscles interrupted her little moment.

"Get your butt in here," Tanith called down to her

Valkyrie used the air to push her up to the window and then climbed through herself.

"Be quiet," she whispered "My parents will think I have a boy in here."

"Do_ I_ sound like a boy?" Tanith asked seemingly offended

"Well," Valkyrie said turning away to grab her black clothes

She heard Tanith mutter something under her breath, while she pulled the black clothes the right way in. "Close your eyes," she said to Tanith as she started pulling off her top

Tanith shut them "Come on Val, I've seen you naked before."

"You're my best friend not my boyfriend, you shouldn't be seeing me naked." She replied pulling her pants on

"Well I'm pretty sure we've _all_ seen you half naked before, I mean with you getting your top ripped to shreds on a regular basis."

"Yes, but I've always had a bra on underneath and can we stop talking about who's seen me naked, it's slightly uncomfortable."

"Ok then," Tanith paused searching for a subject "What do girls normally talk about?"

"Boys, makeup, clothes, hair, gossip"

"We usually talk about hitting people," Tanith said "Does that make us weird?"

Valkyrie rolled her eyes and pulled on her top "_You're_ weird, all done you can look now."

Tanith opened her eyes and grinned "Can we go now? I have a surprise for you."

Valkyrie nodded and Tanith ran to the window and dropped down, "Ow," Valkyrie heard from below and looked out the window. Tanith was standing there brushing herself off, Valkyrie jumped out and she landed softly on the ground.

"I swear that bush has it in for me," Tanith told her as they walked towards Tanith's bike

Valkyrie laughed "I guess if someone jumped on me I would want to hurt them too."

Tanith stuck her tongue out and pulled on her bike helmet before she swung her leg over the bike Valkyrie did the same and Tanith started the bike.

The Dungeon

Melanie's eyes opened slowly, her head ached like she'd been hit by a baseball bat and her nose was filled with a foul smell. She tried moving but her whole body ached and she just moaned pathetically.

"Well, well look who's awake." Said a man's voice from out of her line of sight.

Melanie tried to turn her neck but her body refused to make any other than the smallest movements so she slumped further down the wall.

The man hummed a tune and walked around in-front of Melanie.

It was one of the men from the van, the middle one, he wore another fine suit and he stared at her like one might stare at a dying animal.

"Do you know why you're here?" he asked

"I guess that means you can't speak yet." He said after she didn't reply "Let us test this theory, shall we?"

He held up his hand and pain shot through Melanie's body, her back arched in pain and she opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out.

"Ah yes," he said clapping his hands together "Marcus was right! I'm afraid I owe him some money now, you see we made a bet as to whether or not you would be able to speak when you first woke up."

There was a long silence between the two, not that Melanie could start a conversation anyway and the man seemed to be lost in thought staring out what Melanie figured was a small window above her head.

The man eventually spoke "Are you able to move yet?" He asked arching an eyebrow

Melanie's neck still ached but she decided to try and wiggle her fingers, after about fifteen seconds of concentration she moved her middle finger. Silently rejoicing she attempted to move the rest of them and soon after that her whole body loosened up and she stretched out before surveying the area.

Above her, as she guessed, was a small window with bars on it, to her left was a door and to her right was a small, mouldy, wooden chair that she guessed the man had been sitting on. All around her was grime and mould, the floor was covered in what looked like the same stuff that grew in a dirty fish tank, the stone walls highly resembled the floor.

She tried standing but her arm was chained to the wall and she slipped in the muck.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you!" Said the man "You're chained to the wall."

"No shit" She replied and she gasped at the sound of her voice

"Look who's talking!" cooed the man "Well I best be on my way, official duties and all and now we've found you things are going to change drastically around here, very much so."

"What does it have to do with me?"

"It is all to do with you, my dear, everything that's about to happen is all because of you."

"What does it have to do with me!" she cried again "I'm chained to a wall in a filthy basement-"

"Dungeon" he corrected

"Dungeon then! I don't care, tell me what's happening!"

"Well, aren't you being a tad pushy? Considering the fact I could shoot you through the head right now if I wanted to and no-one would be any wiser but if you insist" he said "Hundreds and hundreds of years ago your ancestor killed some of the most almighty and powerful creatures, the Malstrus, the rest they drove away into the depths of the cruel underworld to serve the rest of their existence. There were four men and one woman who completed this sinful task, two of the four men were assassinated eight months later and the other two grew old and died peacefully although they both had children somewhere down the track their blood line ceased to exist. Now the woman she lived in the shadows avoiding all the limelight offered to her, unlike the men, her blood line continued until today and you, my lovely are the product of that."

"What about the last hundred generations of my family? Why couldn't you use them?"

"Because your blood has to be just right and we had to track you down"

"And what exactly do you plan to do with me?"

"We're going to kill you."

"How delightful" she muttered

"Then we're going to use your blood to resurrect our gods and then we will live alongside them while non-believers perish."

"I'm guessing people are going to have something to say about it"

"Yes they probably will, but we have lived in the shadows for so long they will have forgotten the threat we pose and will not have us being monitored by the Sanctuaries around the world although your disappearance has lead to one agent getting a little too close for comfort so we've moved you a few times."

"What? This is absurd, can I just go home? Please?"

"I'm afraid you can't." And with that he strode over to the door and walked out

Melanie stared at the mouldy wall in front of her before her and a lump rose in her throat, she tried to force it down but she failed and it came back up and, for the first time since she was little, she let out a loud cry and tears rolled down her cheeks, not caring how loud her sobs were or if anyone could hear them.


	2. Chapter 2

The Last day

Valkyrie wrapped her arms around Tanith's waist as they weaved in and out of traffic. They almost hit an electric blue Volvo but Tanith's, as she liked to say, 'expert motorcycling' saved them from an expensive repairs bill.

They turned off the highway and ended up on a small dirt road leading along the seaside Valkyrie smiled as they whipped past the waves lapping at the rocks, fresh sea air filling her with peacefulness. The bike hit a pot-hole in the road and they jolted, scaring the crap out of Valkyrie, she heard Tanith laugh as Valkyrie cursed the unstable road.

Eventually they arrived back on a civilised road that led into a small seaside town. Valkyrie glanced at a fading sign as they passed 'Milbrooke' it read, 'Population: 450'.

Tanith drove through the town with confidence and took a right-turn which took them closer to the beach. She stopped the engine outside a cafe that was right on the shore, the smell of oil and coffee wafted out of the open windows. Tanith swung her leg off the bike and stretched her arms in the air.

"Isn't it beautiful?" She said

Valkyrie looked up and for the first time she realised that, indeed it was beautiful, the blue-green waves lapped at the yellow sand and the grey sky, although threatening rain, made the sea look beautiful.

"Yes" Valkyrie said as she too swung her leg off the bike but her legs were asleep from sitting still for so long and she fell face-first onto the sandy ground, Tanith collapsed on the ground in a fit of laughter.

"Ow" Valkyrie moaned

This only made Tanith laugh more. Valkyrie stood up carefully and grabbed the collar of Tanith's coat pulling her up.

"Come on" she said

Tanith continued laughing

"I think there's something in the air" she muttered dragging Tanith over the tar.

"Ow" Tanith said wiping tears from her eyes and standing up brushing herself off with as much dignity as you can have if you're someone who just rolled around on the ground in a car park.

"So why do you have to go back to England today?" whined Valkyrie "You were there last week"

"Because," said Tanith "The awfully stupid detectives have found somewhere to raid and they need my help."

"They need you?"

Tanith smacked Valkyrie over the back of the head "Yes, they need me." She said sticking her tongue out. "I'm the pro remember."

"Definitely,"

They entered the cafe, the little bell on the door tinkled as it opened, a slightly overweight man in a stained white apron poked his head through a door.

"Tanith!" he exclaimed

"Hello Mayamas" She replied grinning "it's been too long."

"Too true" he said shaking his head "and who's this you've brought with you?"

"This is Valkyrie Cain"

"Ahh the infamous Valkyrie Cain" he said smiling "it's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too" replied Valkyrie and with that Mayamas left and headed back the way he had come.

Tanith lead them over to a two-seated table with a view of the water.

"Whatcha want?" Tanith asked

"Ugh, I don't know," replied Valkyrie "What are you getting?"

"A beef burger and a chocolate thick shake."

Valkyrie arched an eyebrow.

"Shut up" Tanith said defensively "I can splurge once in a while."

"I didn't say anything" replied Valkyrie stifling a laugh "and in that case I'll have the same as you."

Tanith started walking away to order.

"Wait!" shouted Valkyrie "I'll give you some money."

"Fuggedaboutit," said Tanith holding up her hand "I'm loaded."

Valkyrie sighed and looked out the window at the ocean she wished Tanith could stay, when she left she was losing her best friend for at most a month, well not her _best_ friend but close.

Tanith slumped into the chair opposite to her dragging Valkyrie out of her head.

"So," Valkyrie started "how come you need to go back to London?"

"I already told you." Tanith replied arching an eyebrow

"I mean the real reason, not the they want me to come back to raid somewhere reason, the reason they want you to raid reason."

"You just made next to no sense."

"I know, now the reason?"

"Ok," Tanith said sighing "This is confidential so if anyone finds out that you know we're telling them you chained me to a wall while I slept and beat it out of me with a club, ok?"

"Ok!" Valkyrie said saluting "You know my lips are sealed anyway."

"Well," Tanith started "some kid's been kidnapped by these guys trying to resurrect their gods or whatever they want to call them."

"Gods?" Valkyrie arched and eyebrow "Evil or not?"

"Evil."

"Ah, shit" said Valkyrie slumping in her chair "I've had enough of evil gods."

"Well you're not the one taking care of them are you?"

"No, I guess not how old's the kid?"

"Um, fourteen I think," said Tanith furrowing her brow "maybe fifteen."

"You weren't listening were you?"

"Nope."

"So any hopes of me being nosey and finding out all about it through you are dashed?"

"Yeah pretty much"

Mayamas brought over their thick shakes and burgers, Tanith scoffed hers down in about a minute and had a dollop of tomato sauce on her nose. Valkyrie was determined not to make a fool of herself took small bites until she realised how bloody good the burger actually was and she shovelled burger into her mouth too although avoiding the sauce nose Tanith had achieved.

Valkyrie wiped the sauce off Tanith's nose with a napkin and they left the cafe for a quick walk on the beach.

"I'll race you to the water." Said Valkyrie

"You're on" replied Tanith grinning

And they took off, Valkyrie pushing Tanith in a bush.

"No fair!" She shouted

Valkyrie couldn't stop laughing, Tanith was now out of the bush and charging towards her with extreme speed.

Valkyrie was mere metres away from the water when she felt Tanith's hands close around her ankles she shrieked and fell face-first into the damp sand while Tanith crawled over her back and leaped into the water.

"I win." She declared

"You jumped me!" whined Valkyrie "That's not fair!"

"You shoved me into a bush." Tanith said arching an eyebrow

With that Valkyrie lunged herself at Tanith and they were both sent tumbling into the salty water.

"What the fuck!" Tanith shouted

Valkyrie couldn't stop laughing the water had saturated her clothes but she had also saturated Tanith.

"You... you look... you look like a drowned rat!" Valkyrie managed between gasps

That was it, Tanith tackled her tickling Valkyrie until she cried with laughter.

"Stop! Stop!" Valkyrie cried laughing "I'm sorry I promise! Stop!"

Tanith straightened herself up and started squeezing the salty water out of her hair. Valkyrie took the opportunity and launched herself at Tanith, they went tumbling and Tanith was re-drenched in the sea water.

Valkyrie pinned Tanith down and tickled her back until Tanith got her bearings and flipped Valkyrie off sending her sprawling in the shallow water.

Valkyrie couldn't stop laughing; this was the most fun she'd had in ages.

Tanith sprung at Valkyrie sitting on top of her chest before dragging her up into her arms, she swung her arms up once, twice and on the third she launched Valkyrie out into the water, squealing.

Valkyrie made a face as the salty water filled her mouth, it washed around in her mouth burning her throat. Her head broke the surface and she dragged her legs through the heavy water, coughing and retching as she went, she made her way to the beach where Tanith was lying face-up on the sand chest heaving. Valkyrie lay down next to her, her hair was sticking to her face and she was covered in uncomfortable sand.

"You know," said Tanith "if you're going to tickle me again I'm going to drown you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Breathed Valkyrie

They staggered back up to the cafe car park, Valkyrie had managed to dry them as much as she could with what water abilities she had but they were still damp, freezing and they smelt.

Mayamas walked out of the cafe "What in god's name? Tanith you're a terrible influence, what are you ninety or four?"

"She started it." Whined Tanith

"I don't care, she's 19 and you're supposed to be responsible, go around the back both of you."

Tanith trudged forward and Valkyrie followed, they went around the far side of the building, following a small worn path until they got to the back of the building where Mayamas was waiting.

"Now girls," he said "hold still." He lifted his hand and pulled the remaining water off Valkyrie and dumped it onto the ground and did the same to Tanith.

Mayamas lead them into the cafe where he sat them down, shivering, and gave them delicious hot chocolates with marshmallows bobbing in the top.

"How do you know Tanith?" Valkyrie asked him as he sat down at their table

"We grew up together," he said "We lived in the same neighbourhood, actually next to each other."

"Yeah," Tanith said "he was older than me, we lived in a mortal street and our parents discovered each other by accident and became best friends."

"She was terrified to go to school, I had to hold her hand and walk her to class every day."

"Everyone loved me." Tanith said proudly

"Sounds like you," Valkyrie laughed "except the terrified to go to school bit, that's not like you."

"It wasn't like me," Tanith replied "my big brother told me stories about the cane and getting hit."

"She got the cane enough though." Mayamas said

"Because Mrs Pringe was a right cow,"

"And if I rightly remember you got the cane for calling her a cow."

"That was a bad idea." Muttered Tanith

"One hundred lashes" Mayamas said shaking his head "I had to carry you home, a bloody mess and she refused to go to school for a week and when her parents finally made her I had to carry her there and got a boot print on my head."

"Wow" said Valkyrie trying not to laugh

Tanith looked up at the clock on the wall of the cafe "Shit! Val we've got to run! It's twelve thirty and my flights at three!"

"It's ok, we'll get there in time, it took two hours to get here right that gives us an extra half an hour to grab your suitcase and it takes twenty five minutes to get to the airport when you're driving like a normal person." Said Valkyrie "We'll make it"

"I haven't packed yet." Tanith said sheepishly

"You what?" cried Valkyrie "Tanith you idiot!"

"We'd better go, thank you Mayamas, here's the money for the hot chocolate."

"No, no it's on the house." Mayamas replied shaking his head

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure now get going, you're going to be late."

Tanith burst through the cafe door, the little bell jingling wildly, Valkyrie on her heels.

They both got on the bike and took off, leaving a cloud of sand behind them.

Torture

Melanie looked up as the door unlocked and a man stepped through with a small bag he looked behind him as a man and a woman with bright red lips carried a table in after him.

"Over there" he instructed pointing to the far right corner.

The man and woman put the table down, bowed and walked out whispering to each other. Melanie caught the woman's eye, she looked worried but she quickly glanced away and shut the door behind her.

The man didn't say a word as he unshackled Melanie, pulled her up and lead her to the table. She tried to break away but he slapped her and she allowed herself to be shackled to the table.

"Now," he said pulling a long, sharp knife out of the bag, "this might hurt a tad."

The Murderer and the Mice

Another girl, another gruesome mess, another job for Scrutinous.

Chloe Forbes lay before them, well most of her anyway, whoever it was didn't leave much to go by.

Six girls in the past two weeks, all gruesome and bloody.

Valkyrie took one quick look and quickly walked outside to vomit in the flower bed.

"Any ideas?" Valkyrie asked Skulduggery from outside

"No, whoever this was is not being very cooperative in our investigation."

Valkyrie's mouth tasted of vomit, she walked over to a woman named Millie, she liked Millie, Millie was the kind of person who didn't take crap from anyone and she was also hilarious and holding a drink bottle.

"Hey Val!" she exclaimed as Valkyrie trudged towards her

"Water," she gasped "Please"

Millie placed the water bottle into Valkyrie's hand who guzzled it and immediately felt better, she handed the now empty water bottle back to Millie.

"You're lucky I like you," Millie said staring at her empty water bottle

"You haven't seen in there yet have you?"

"Nope,"

"Well that would probably be a bad idea considering you don't have any water." And with that she bounded away leaving Millie shaking her head.

Valkyrie stood outside the door being careful not to even glance in at the carnage while she waited for Skulduggery. He walked out the door and put his hat back on, "It seems our little murderer gets a little mad." He said starting towards the Bentley

"We just need to hurry up and figure out who this is and kick their ass,"

"Before any more people get hurt,"

"Did our victim in there have any connection to the magical world?"

"No, none just like the others and they have no relation to each other whatsoever."

"This is to precise to be random,"

"Indeed it is,"


	3. Chapter 3

Melanie lifted her head, she could her noise from outside her dank cell, yells. She allowed herself a peek at her body, the gashes on her forearms had clotted and didn't hurt much, the marks carved on her chest hours before still flowed freely blood dripping into a pool at the floor, her back was the worst and she was glad she couldn't see it but she was very aware of the blood soaked shirt she wore on her back. Her principle would skin her if she saw how tatty her uniform looked, _I don't think the principle seeing me skinned is going to be a problem_ she thought but just as quickly as it came she banished the thought from her mind and rested her head on her chest once again.

The yells outside her cell had gotten closer, right outside the mouldy door, Melanie lifted her head again straining to make out the noise. She heard talking from right outside the door, in-between the muffled footsteps and commotion.

"Bitch" she heard, a woman with an English accent.

More muffled noises before the door burst open, a woman with blonde tousled hair stood there dressed in leather and a sword in her hand.

She rushed over to Melanie and brushed her hair out of her face while she observed the chains around Melanie's legs and wrists.

"Sick freaks" she muttered

"You're telling me" murmured Melanie cringing as the marks on her chest stung

"Oh, I thought you were out" she said smiling "don't worry, I'll get you out in a jiffy" she raised her sword over her head and slammed it down on the chain around Melanie's right wrist.

The chain clattered to the ground, Melanie looked at her wrist, it had been worn raw by the shackles.

"Hah!" the woman said in victory "These chains are as old as the place itself"

The woman broke the chains around Melanie's legs and wrist and helped her stand.

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?" the woman asked

"Nup" Melanie replied putting on a brave face "I'll be right, just give me a minute."

There was a clatter from somewhere outside the door.

"I don't think you have a minute"

"What was that?"

"Reinforcements." The English woman picked up her sword off the ground and stood in front of the unbalanced Melanie.

Then men and women came flooding into the cell, about a dozen surrounded the woman and Melanie most holding objects like knifes or crowbars, one held a table lamp.

"Oh, hell" breathed Melanie

The first man charged wielding a knife, the English woman ducked under it and elbowed him in the side of the head. Three more took her on, including the one with the lamp, she made short work of them all.

The English woman was doing a mighty fine job of all of this, Melanie was perfectly happy staying behind her but one scrawny man crept up on the English woman. Holding a long dagger above his head he edged ever closer to the distracted woman, just as he made his dive for her Melanie snatched a knife from an unconscious man and raked it across the belly of the scrawny man.

He shrieked and recoiled dropping his dagger, Melanie cringed in pain as she kicked the scrawny man in the head, his eyes rolled back and his head lolled onto his chest before he collapsed into a bloody heap on the floor.

Melanie looked at the knife in her hand, the blood ran off the blade onto her hand, dripping off her wrist. Disgusted she dropped the knife and scouted out a new blade, a long, elegant knife from an unconscious woman with bright red lips.

She took her place behind the English woman and kept an eye on the battle, the English woman was doing a mighty fine job of it all but there were allot of people and one of her.

"What in god's name am I about to do" Melanie muttered to herself before she ran straight into the fight.

"Good to see you're enthusiastic about dying" the English woman said as she kneed a man on the face before kicking him away.

"I wasn't going to let you go alone, was I?" Melanie said slicing at a man's arm, he screamed like a little girl, Melanie had screamed like that when she was being tortured, _tortured_ and this _man_ had a little cut in his arm.

The English woman laughed, "I'm Tanith." She said grunting under the strength of a big brute of a man with rippling muscles.

They were standing back to back now, Tanith taking on the majority of the mob and Melanie taking on anyone within slicing distance.

Tanith ducked under a man's right hook and kicked his knee, it collapsed and he fell to the floor, he tried to grab Tanith but she moved quick as lightning and dodged out of the way before kicking him in the head.

Tanith hit a scrawny man in the temple with her elbow "Done," she panted before grabbing Melanie's wrist and pulling her into the corridor where there were two more men waiting for them and more shadows were advancing.

Something caught Melanie's eye, through a door behind them was a bag, her bag she wanted that bag, she needed that bag.

"I need to get something," she shouted to Tanith running to the door and peering in.

"What the fuck? I'm not sure if you've noticed but we're being attacked."

Melanie ignored her and crept into the empty room before racing over to her bag, it was just as she'd left it but she pulled the books out and dumped them on the ground and swung the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"Your school bag? You're an idiot!" Tanith shouted as she kicked a man in the face

Melanie ignored her and sliced at a woman's cheek-bone as she made a dive for Tanith just as she cracked another man's head against the stone wall. Tanith stood there, cheast heaving, observing the people around her, like she was looking for someone then she grabbed Melanie's wrist and took off again.

They ran up a set of winding stairs and Tanith kicked in the wooden door at the top and led the way into an empty, candle-lit hall. Melanie limped after Tanith, following her through two large doors into the next room which was splattered in blood, a man was kneeled in the middle of the carnage.

"Cret," she heard Tanith mutter

"Who's there?" the man said weakly

"A certain English woman with a sword,"

"Tanith," he said "Old friend, help me."

"How dare you even call me your friend," she spat

"Still a little mad are we?"

"You killed someone very dear to me."

"Ah, yes, Milne but he was a bit of a pain anyway, wasn't he?"

Tanith walked up to the man and stood in front of him, "You monster" she said quietly before kicking him in the face, his feet lifted off the ground and he fell in a crumpled heap on the stone floor. She walked over to the dumbstruck Melanie and took her hand before hurrying towards the massive doors in front of them, there was a crash from above them and then some yelling and Tanith started running.

Tanith burst through the doors of the castle her hand tightly clamped around Melanie's wrist. They sprinted towards the gates of the large estate, down the hill, gaining speed with every step. Melanie stumbled on the uneven path but Tanith pulled her back up, off her feet, before planting her on the ground again and continuing down the hill.

Melanie silently wished Tanith would stop holding her so tight, her wrist was stinging from the wounds the shackles had left and watery blood oozed from it.

They lurched to a stop just before the open gates, Melanie almost stumbling into Tanith's back.

"What's goi..." started Melanie before she looked up

"Fuck" breathed Tanith

Approximately one hundred of the men and women from the castle had lined up in-front of the gate, some holding fire in their hands, others balling up shadows. _This has just gotten so much weirder_ Melanie thought.

Tanith's eyes were flickering from the mob to the seven metre high stone wall, eventually she said something.

"Do you trust me?" she whispered not taking her eyes off the people in-front of her

"Do I have a choice?" Melanie whispered back

"Not really."

"Then yes."

"Hold on tight" she said and flashed Melanie a grin before taking off towards the stone wall, still gripping Melanie's wrist.

The group moved to surround them and Tanith stopped just before they hit the wall she glanced at Melanie who was raising an eyebrow at her and then pulled her up into her arms.

Tanith seemed to focus and then she started walking _up_ the wall. Melanie gasped and looked at the mob of misfits below them, staring, dumbstruck.

She heard one man mumble "I've always hated people who could do that."

"Don't worry" came another voice "I'll get them down"

A thick line of shadows breezed past them and Tanith started running up the wall, another stream of shadows followed by balls of fire, Tanith dodged them all. They got to the top and dropped down to the other side.

"If we get out of here alive" Melanie said breathless "You're telling me what the fuck is going on."

"We're already out" Tanith pointed out before grabbing Melanie's wrist again and dragging her into the bushes as the group marched past them.

"I left it around it somewhere." Tanith muttered to herself frowning "aha!" she exclaimed

Melanie followed Tanith's voice and stumbled behind a clump of trees where Tanith was standing proudly next to a motorbike.

"That is awesome." Said Melanie slowly, her eyes wide

Tanith got on the motorbike "Here," she said throwing Melanie a helmet who put it on.

They sped off, leaving the castle far behind.


End file.
